Seems Congress leaders have no engagements in Gujarat: Naqvi

New Delhi, (IANS) Taking a dig at the Congress, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday said that going by the Congress persistent demand for holding the winter session of parliament, it seemed to him that its leaders have “no engagements” in the Gujarat assembly elections.

He said that the government is not running away from calling the winter session and was just deferring it in view of the Gujarat assembly elections.

“We thought it would be better if the session starts after the Gujarat elections are over as most of the leaders are busy campaigning there,” Naqvi said.

“But if the Congress thinks they have got nothing to do in the Gujarat elections because nobody in the state is caring for them, it is there problem not ours. Our leaders are very busy in Gujarat elections,” he added.

Rebutting Congress party’s allegations that the Narendra Modi government has little regard for parliamentary democracy Naqvi said that the Congress has “no moral right” to lecture the government on the subject.

“The Congress should look at its own track record before pointing fingers at us as far as regard for parliamentary democracy is concerned. Congress is the party that once put locks on Parliament house during the Emergency,” he said.

Naqvi said it was not for the first time that the winter session was being delayed due to assembly elections.

“It has happened during the UPA’s (United Progressive Alliance, a Congress-led coalition) time too,” he said.